Swimming device



Apri s, 1924. r 1,489,935

G. ERARIO SWIMMING DEVICE Filed Jan. 31, 1924 Patented Apr. 8, 1924i.

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GIUSEPPE ERARIO, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

SWIMMING DEVICE.

' Application led January 31, 1924. Serial No.y 689,753.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GIUSEPPE Emme, a subject of the King of Italy,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Swimming Devices,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inswimming devices and particularlyV to the kind that are adapted to beworn upon the feet of a person and constructed in a manner to cause anincreased propelling ac tion of the feet of a person during the act ofswimming upon rearward movement of the feet.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a swimming deviceadapted for attachment to the seat in the general form of a sandalwherein side wings or paddles carried by a central foot or sole portionin a manner to be normally maintained in a plane above the central soleportion to permit usual walking movement with the side blades or paddlesout of the way when entering and leaving water.

With the above and other objects in view that will become apparentduring the course of the following description, the same consists of thenovel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fullydescribed, shown in the accompanying drawing and claimed.

In the drawing, wherein like reference characters designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a swimming device constructed inaccordance with the present invention showing the `side blades orpaddles extended from the central sandal base or sole to operativeposition,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line II-II of Fig. 1,Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line III-#III of Fig. 1showing the elastic tape for normally holding the side blades elevatedabove the horizontal plane of the sandal base or sole, and n Figure 4 isan enlarged detail sectional view showing the connection between one ofthe side4 blades and sandal base.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawing, there isillustrated a swimming device adapted for attachment to the foot of aperson embodying a central sole for the base 1 constructed4 of any-material desired, such as wood or cork and to which a flexible sandal 2formed of leather or the like is suitably secured, the sandal 2including a strap and buckle connection 3 for fastening the same overthe instep of the foot.

A side blade or wing 4 is hinged at spaced points as at 5 to each sideedge of the central base 1 and has the hinged edge thereof cut at anangle as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4 so that when said angularly cutedge flatly abuts the adjacent edge of the central base 1, the wing 4will be slightly elevated above the horizontal plane of the base 1 whichwill permit free walking movement by a person wearing the swimmingdevice upon entering and leaving the water. y

'Io retain the side wings 4 in a slightly elevated position with respectto the central base 1 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the central base andside wings are provided with registering channels 6 and 7 respectivelythrough which elastic tapes 8 entend, one or more of the elastic tapesbeing provided and anchored intermediate their endsl in the central base1 by the stud screw 9 as shown in Fig. 3 while the elastic tapes 8 aremaintained under tension by the wedge pins 10 forced into the outer endsof the channels 7 and engaging the adjacent end of the elastic tape. Thelower faces of the wings 4 are corrugated in an outward direction as at11 tending to resist water pressure and to enhance the propelling forcethereof.

A swimming device is mounted upon each foot of a person and asillustrated by full lines in Figs. 1 and 3, the side wings 4 areslightly elevated above the lower plane of the central base 1 permittingfree walking movements of a person wearing the swimmingdevicesunhindered by the side wings 4. During the swimming operation,the forward movement of the leg and foot through the water will causethe side wings 4 to move to the dotted line positions shown in Fig. 3and when the foot is rearwardly projected, the wings 4 will be opened toeX- tended positions odering greater resistance and increased propellingforce, the corrugated lower face of the wings cutting the scribed thepreferred embodiment of the present invention, it is nevertheless to beunderstood that minor changes may be made therein without departing fromthe spirit and scope thereof as claimed.

YVhat is claimed as new is 1. In a swimming device, a central base, asandal carried thereby, and side wings hinged to opposite side edges ofthe base with the edges thereof abutting the oppo-` site sides of thebase angularly cut to permit the wings to lie in a plane above the lowerface of the base and means for holding the wings in an elevatedposition.

2. In a swimming device, a central base, a sandal carried thereby, andside wings hinged to opposite side edges of the base with the edgesthereof abutting the opposite sides of the base angular-ly cut to permitthe wings to lie in a plane above the lower face of the base and elasticmeans for holding thewings in an elevated position.

3. In a swimming device, a central base, a sandal carried thereby, andside wings hinged to opposite side edges of the base with the edgesthereof abutting the opposite sides of the base angularly cut to permitthe wings to lie in a plane above the lower face of the base, said baseand wings having registering channels extending transversely thereof,and elastic tapes extending through the channels and anchored at their'ends at the outer edges of the wings for holding the wings in anelevated position.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

GIUSEPPE ERARIO.

